The difference's in life
by MelanieB
Summary: A story based on if Voldemort hadn't done all his attackes when he did. Harry is only starting his fifth year. Has some HBP spoilers And I would also like to say this isn't the dream theory. May not be finished, don't know yet.
1. The dream

Harry sat up from bed breathing hard when he heard a loud slamming noise coming from downstairs. He leapt up from bed and hurried down the steps. He ran into the kitchen where he found his Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia looking at each other shocked, his cousin Dudley was no where to be seen. 

"What's going on?" Harry asked looking from each shocked face.

"I-I didn't know he smoked." Aunt Petunia said ignoring Harry. "When did he start smoking Vernon?"

"It's hard to say." Uncle Vernon said looking over at Harry who was still watching them.

Harry hated his uncle and aunt and was relieved that this would be the very last time they would see him. On July thirty-first Harry would be leaving his uncle and aunts place forever and he would never turn back. He stared at the hateful large man and the skinny woman standing in front of him. He knew they too would celebrate the day he would leave their house.

"Did you know anything about this boy?" Uncle Vernon asked Harry furiously.

"Yes." Harry answered shrugging astounded that it took his aunt and uncle this long to realize what their son did.

Dudley who was ever larger than his father was the leader of his gang. They walked around town smoking, beating up small children and destroying public property. Harry had seen them at it while he walked around the town two years before. Uncle Vernon who liked to avoid the fact that Harry was a wizard told people that Harry had gone to a school for criminals instead of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry believed it should have been Dudley that went to this school but his aunt and uncle would never believe anything terrible about their son.

"And did you not think for a moment that maybe we would want to know?" Uncle Vernon said furiously his face turning purple.

"You wouldn't have believed me even if I did." Harry retorted. "What would have been the point? Anyway where is Dudley?

"He left the house when we tried talking to him about quitting." Aunt Petunia said in a defeated voice.

"I could go get him if you'd like." Harry said looking for a reason to leave the house he hated so much.

"Wait a minute!" Uncle Vernon bellowed as Harry turned to leave. "You aren't suppose to leave the house!"

Harry turned back to his uncle shocked. His uncle looked rather panicky for some reason and Harry opened his mouth to ask why but Aunt Petunia answered for him.

"In March we received a letter from that man who came last summer. He told us that under no circumstances are you to leave the house until you are seventeen." She answered. "So you can go on back up to your room now."

"Yea I don't want that nutter back here. It's bad enough having one in the house without having another." Uncle Vernon answered furiously.

"That nutter is dead!" Harry yelled angrily at his uncles words. It still hurt to think about Dumbledore's death.

"Dead?" Aunt Petunia asked.

"Yes dead!" Harry said furiously.

"Did that Lord wachamacallit do it?" Uncle Vernon asked distractedly looking out the window not caring if it hurt Harry to talk about Dumbledore.

"No." Harry said. "I'm going to go look for Dudley."

He turned away again but Uncle Vernon grabbed a hold of his arm as if afraid that if Harry were to go outside Dumbledore would come. Harry couldn't help but smile when he thought of his two best friends who were also wizards who were coming the next day. He hadn't told his aunt and uncle yet about that.

"If you are in danger when you aren't here I don't want you going to get my son in danger either! I haven't forgotten the Dementoids!" He yelled spitting in Harry's face.

"Harry this really is none of your business. Just go to your room now." Aunt Petunia said angrily.

Harry wrenched himself from his uncle but he pulled a little too hard. He fell hitting his head on the kitchen table and everything went black.

* * *

"Are you ok mate?" Someone asked. 

Harry opened his eyes to see his best friend Ron Weasley standing over him. Some how they ended up outside and when Harry sat up he realized he was in a completely different location. This wasn't even the Durley's yard. He jolted when he saw the people surrounding him, his mother, his father, Sirius Black and Neville Longbottom. Harry stared at Neville he seemed to look more confident then he use to.

He then looked at his parents and Sirius Black who were all suppose to be dead. Sirius his Godfather had died the year before and his parents had died when he was only a year old. He only knew them by their pictures, only his parents seem to look a little older. He felt confused. Was he dreaming? He knew he had hit his head on the table back at his aunt and uncles place so it could be a dream.

"Sorry, I guess I'm not really a beater either." Neville said. "It looks as though I just don't belong on the team."

"You can't give up." Ron told Neville. "Just because the beater bat flew out of your doesn't mean you're terrible. You just need better grip, that's all."

"Sorry to interrupt." Harry said. "But can someone tell me what is going on? Where am I exactly and-" he looked over at his parents and godfather. "I-I thought you'd died."

"James! What is wrong with him?" His mother asked clutching his fathers arm.

"He's fine Lily. It's the aftermath of getting knocked out and the potion. It's happened to me several times. He is just confused."

"You must have had an awful dream." Sirius told Harry. "None of us are dead and you are at Neville's place. You were knocked out for quite a while before we came back."

Harry stared at his parents. Harry had his mothers green eyes but his fathers black hair and glasses. Harry and his father almost looked the same but his father was older looking now. His father also had brown eyes. His mother had long auburn hair and green eyes. He could see the look of concern on their faces.

"Your not dead? It was all a dream then?" Harry asked. "And you've never been to Azkaban prison?" He asked pointing at Sirius.

"No. Why would I have gone to prison?" Sirius asked looking confused.

"Er- never mind. If you don't mind can I ask some questions about me life? I think I have forgotten a few things." Harry said not knowing what else to say.

"Go ahead." His father said shrugging looking rather amused now than worried.

"Where do I live?"

"In Godric's Hollow." His mother answered.

"And did we ever have to go in to hiding?" Harry continued.

"No. Why would we need to go into hiding?" His mother asked stroking Harry's hair still looking worried.

"From Voldemort." Harry answered. "He was after us wasn't he?"

"Voldemort? That nutter who is trying to gather followers to get rid of anyone who isn't pure blood? No. And you shouldn't worry too much about him, I don't think he'll get too far." Sirius said. "Although Dumbledore says we should be careful but I don't think he is a threat."

"So let me get this straight." Harry said. "I never saved the Philosophers stone, I never had to save Ginny Weasley from a great dirty serpent which means I must not be a parcelmouth, I didn't have to save Sirius from Dementors, I was never in the Tri-Wizard tournment, Sirius didn't die in the department of mysteries and Dumbledore didn't die either?"

"That must have been quite a dream." His father said. "No to all of those. There was a Tri-Wizard tournament last year at Hogwarts but Cedric Diggory got into it and he won but Viktor Krum was close."

"Last year?" Harry asked. "But that must mean I am only starting my-"

"Fifth year." Ron interrupted. "OWL year. Fred and George reckon it's going to be a tough year. Although they didn't get many OWL's and mum is furious. They only care about that joke shop don't they?"

"They are still trying to do that then?" Harry asked grabbing his hair at all these confusing explanations. "Where are they going to get the money? I leant them my Tri-wizard tournament money in my dream."

"I think dad is going to, he doesn't mind that they want to open the joke shop. Didn't you tell Neville and I that you would lend them the money if you got in? That's why you must have dreamt it." Ron answered.

"Must be." Harry said slowly. "But where is Hermione?"

"Hermione? Granger? That know it all who thinks she is better than everyone? I don't know. Tell me that you don't fancy her mate. I might have to hit you with the beater club myself." Ron said looking confused.

"Ron!" His mother said. "You know I don't like it when you say that stuff and if Harry likes this girl than you should be supportive."

"No it's not that." Harry said trying not to grin. In his dream Ron had been the one who fancied Hermione. "It's just she was our best friend in my dream. We saved her from a troll."

Ron and Neville burst out laughing at this. Harry looked at Neville again. In his dream, Neville's parents had been insane so he was brought up by his grandmother. Neville had always had trouble trying to live up to his insane father but now he looked confident and happy. Harry guessed having his parents around must have changed that.

"So is Neville my best friend then?" Harry asked.

"I should hope so." Neville answered looking rather hurt. "We've been friends since our first year."

Harry nodded. He wasn't friends with Hermione apparently he didn't like her, his parents, Sirius and Dumbledore were alive, he was only starting his fifth year, Neville and Ron were his best friends, Cedric hadn't died in the tournament. Then he remembered Ron saying his father would lend Fred and George the money for their joke shop. Did that mean the Weasley family who had seven children were rich and not poor?

"Are you rich?" Harry asked Ron.

"Not really. We have enough money to get by though."

"So you're not poor either?"

"No... that's just yours and Neville's joke remember? You both have a lot more money than I do so you say I'm poor compared to you two." Ron answered.

"You better not be saying that." Lily scolded Harry. "We did not bring you up to feel that you are better than others. The Weasley's are not poor."

"Are there anymore surprises I should know about?"Harry asked.

"Well," His mother began still stroking his hair. "You have a little brother and sister. Your sister Allison is starting her third year and your brother Carl is starting his first year. Allison is also a Gryffindor like you and we hope that Carl will be one too although Ravenclaw would be nice."

Harry had only been an only child in his dream as his parents had been murdered when he was only one years old. This was all a shock to him and he didn't understand why he could not remember his former life. What had the beater bat done to him to make him forget? He could picture his brother and sister in his mind though. Carl looked exactly like him except he had their fathers brown eyes and Allison had auburn hair and brown eyes.

Why had he dreamt that his parents, his godfather and Dumbledore were dead? Did he rely on them too much in real life as well? Was this dream telling him he would be the one to defeat Lord Voldemort but he couldn't rely on any of those people to help him? He knew he couldn't rely on Hermione either as she wasn't even his friend but she had always helped him solve clues in his dream.

"And does Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon hate us?" Harry asked. "In my dream they thought I was abnormal and didn't treat me very well. I had to live them since you had died."

"Well they do think our powers are abnormal but they don't hate us, not really. They allow us to come over as long as we don't do any 'funny stuff' as Vernon calls it. Apparently they don't want their son exposed to it." His mother answered. "Look Harry, I think we should go home and you should sleep. You are still rather confused by your dream and you are old enough to know the difference between reality and a dream."

"Er- right, sure." Harry said. "Good idea."

He could tell that both Neville and Ron were thinking that he was mad so he didn't mind going home. He also wanted to go see what his house looked like since he couldn't remember. Neville and Ron both waved at him as his mother pulled him to his feet and started dragging him across they yard. His father and Sirius followed behind him grinning as if they thought this whole thing was amusing.

Hope you enjoyed.  
Please read and review and I just want people to know that this isn't the dream theory either. You'll see as it goes on.


	2. Adjusting

"Harry wake up! Our Hogwarts letters have come!" Someone whispered. 

Harry opened his eyes to find a girl that looked like his mother except she had brown eyes and her hair seemed a little darker than her mothers. She was beaming at Harry as she held a letter for Harry bearing the Hogwarts crest. While some things still seemed unfamiliar to Harry, his little brother and sister weren't. He seemed to be used to their personalities and bickers.

A smaller boy's head popped up a moment later also grinning. The boy looked almost identical to Harry except he had their fathers brown eyes and he didn't wear glasses. His hair was also a lighter shade of black than Harry's and his fathers. Harry who was still confused over his dream a week ago soon learned that his little brother was very jealous of Harry but he also wanted to be just like Harry.

"Listen, can't you two go downstairs until I'm ready? Then we'll open our letters together." Harry told them.

"I'm glad you remember that." Allison said. "Out of everything you could have remembered you remember that the past two years we have opened our letters together."

"When will you start remembering more Harry? It's really weird when you talk about things that haven't happened." Carl added.

"I don't know." Harry said. "No go on downstairs. I'll be down in a moment."

He watched his brother and sister hurry out of the room while he thought about the past week. His mother seemed to get nervous whenever Harry mentioned the dream or said something that had happened in his dream. When he had mentioned Lord Voldemort's horcruxes his mother had accidently dropped a plate on the floor. Even his father was looking less amused whenever Harry seemed to get real life mixed together with his dream.

He learned over the week that Ginny Weasley did indeed like him but not for being famous. No one really knew why she liked Harry so much but she was only starting to just open up to him like in his dream. She apparently never used to be able to talk when they were in same room together. Harry wondered what would happen now that he liked Ginny as well.

He also learned that he, Ron and Neville were almost like the Weasley twins where they caused havoc around the castle. The Weasley twins were still the best at practical jokes but Allison told Harry that he and his friends were close to being great. They liked to tell Peeves the Poltergeist to destroy items in the castle just to make Filch who was the caretaker's job a lot harder.

He learned that he wasn't big enemies with Draco Malfoy, they still had their fights because of house rivalry but they weren't as bad in Harry's dream. Draco Malfoy who had in Harry's first year in his dream helped Harry get on the Quidditch team by stealing Neville's remembrall had done the same in real life. During flying lessons on broomsticks after Neville had fallen off his broom Draco had stolen the Remembrall and threatened to hide it. Harry went after Draco; Draco threw the remembrall through the air and Harry caught it with a spectacular dive. Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor allowed Harry to get on the team.

Harry had learned the best part from his father. In Harry's dream one of the teachers called Professor Snape had been head of Slytherin house and potions teacher. Snape did teach at Hogwarts but he was the Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers and not head of Slytherin house so he couldn't cheat. Harry still couldn't keep his emotions under control when he thought of Severus Snape who had killed Professor Dumbledore in his dream. Harry had wanted to kill Snape and Harry still felt angry with him and didn't trust him. He would be keeping an eye on Snape throughout the year just to make sure he didn't try to repeat his cowardliness.

Sighing Harry got up from bed and quickly changed before heading down the steps. The house in Godrics Hollow was large and there were a lot of unused bedrooms in it. Harry had the second largest bedroom since he was the oldest and it was decorated in Gryffindor colours and Quidditch symbols.

He found his brother and sister waiting at a large round table in the kitchen where two house elves were busy making food. They were both girl elves and had apparently known Harry since he was a year and a half. His parents had hired them when they learned that they were pregnant with Allison.

"Your envelope feels rather thick." Allison told Harry handing him his Hogwart's letter. "Mine does too but I think it must have my Hogsmeade permission form in it.

Harry ripped open his envelope and pulled out a piece of parchment which told him what new books he would need that year; The Standard Book of Spells Grade Five and Knowing the right Defensive jinxes. He had no idea what supplies he would need that year so he figured he would restock on everything. He pulled out a second piece of parchment and a badge fell out along with it. It was red and gold with a letter P on it. He couldn't believe it. He had been made a prefect!

Allison who had been eyeing Harry suddenly yelled "MUM!"

Carl looked up startled from reading his acceptance letter into Hogwarts while Harry stared at Allison surprised she could yell that loud. Allison had a very small and soft voice. He could hear running footsteps and a moment later both his parents appeared in the kitchen looking startled.

"What, what is it?" His mother asked looking worried. "You aren't fighting again are you?"

"No . . . look! Harry has been made prefect! Can you believe it with how bad he is and all?" Allison said excitedly pointing at Harry's badge that was now laying on the table.

"Allison, your brother isn't bad." His mother said. "But I am so proud of you Harry! This must mean that I am not going to be getting mail every week from school telling me that you've done something wrong."

"It might teach him some responsibility." His father said. "Harry, I hope you won't abuse your position as Prefect. I tried once when I was Head Boy."

"And you never tried it again did you James? That title meant more to you than anything and I know you would have been upset if it had been taken away." His mother answered.

"Ron had been made prefect in the dream." Harry said. "I wonder if Hermione is the other prefect then. She is the cleverest in our year."

"I think you like this Hermione." Allison said. "You haven't stopped talking about her all week and last year you were mean to her."

"For the last time, I don't like Hermione." Harry said laughing. "It's Ron who likes her. He just doesn't admit he does. She likes him as well. She did send birds to attack him for kissing Lavender Brown."

"When did she do that?" Allison asked. "I never heard about that."

"In sixth year." Harry answered looking at his letter.

It told him that he had to be in the Prefect carriages at the beginning of the train ride where he would meet his fellow prefects and the Head Boy and Girl. They would also get their instructions while they were there and learn the rules of being a Prefect. Why had Dumbledore made Harry prefect? He wondered if they still talked a lot like they had in his dream. He knew that as soon as he got to Hogwarts he would need to speak with the Headmaster about his dream.

He looked up to see his parents and brother and sister staring at him. He couldn't understand why until he realized that he had told them that Hermione had attacked Ron in their sixth year, but they hadn't had a sixth year yet.

"Maybe he is psychic." Allison finally said. "Because I do think Ron does like Hermione. Maybe he knows that Hermione will attack Ron with birds next year."

"Harry. I want you to stop talking about that dream. None of what you dreamed happened. It's disturbing that you seem to know more than you should now but I think you must have picked that stuff up along the way and you are only remembering it now." His mother said.

"Maybe." Harry said.

"When are we going to Diagon Alley?" Carl asked. "I want to get an owl just like Harry's. It won't be a snow owl though, I think I want a brown one and it has to be a boy."

"We'll go tomorrow." His mother answered. "Your father wanted to pick some stuff up in town. Harry and Allison if you want to invite your friends along you had better do it now so they can be here at the right time tomorrow."

Harry nodded and he went back up to his room to write to his friends. He was also planning on writing to Hermione Granger as well. He just had to know if she was prefect. He knew it would be weird writing a letter to her and not being able to write to her as a friend. He entered his room and looked at his bed which looked oddly like his four poster bed at Hogwarts. Hedwig was asleep on her perch when Harry entered.

"Hedwig." He said prodding her awake. "I'm going to need you in a moment to deliver three letters for me."

He quickly scribbled down two letters for Ron and Neville, asking them if they wanted to go to Diagon Alley the next day before thinking of a letter to write to Hermione. He stared at the parchment a while listening to Hedwigs irritated hoots.

_Hermione.  
It's Harry Potter, I was just wondering if you had been made prefect as well. I just wanted to know who my fellow prefect was and I didn't think it would be Parvati or Lavender. Please write back soon. _

Harry.

Harry called Hedwig over and told her to make sure that she delivered Hermione's letter first before Neville's or Ron's. He knew, after talking to them throughout the week that he would not hear the end of it if they found out he was writing to Hermione Granger. Hedwig took off a few moments later and Harry watched her go until he heard a noise. He turned to see Carl standing in his doorway.

"Harry? Do you think I'll make friends at Hogwarts?" Carl asked.

"I expect you will, yes." Harry answered.

"I don't know . . . I don't think I am anything special. I mean you are popular, funny and talented at Quidditch. Allison is very smart and she is also popular. Me, we've played Quidditch together but I'm terrible at it. I also don't think I am very smart and I never say anything funny."

Harry smiled. "You remind me a lot like Ron. He thinks he needs to live up to his brothers as well. Just be yourself Carl and you'll be fine. Don't try and be like Allison or I."

"But what if being myself isn't good enough?" Carl asked.

"Look. I have never always been confident you know. In my first year, I use to try and show off just to be like dad. I use to make noises whenever Professor Snape tried to talk just because he and dad were enemies in school. I jinxed Crabbe and Goyle for no reason at all in second year." Harry had no recollection of doing these things but yet he knew they were true. "But I finally learned that I can be funny without trying too hard."

"But you still do things to Professor Snape and Crabbe and Goyle at school." Carl said. "You also bother Hermione Granger as well."

Harry shrugged. "Maybe so, but just take my advice and be yourself. You'll make enough friends."

"What if I'm in Slytherin or Hufflepuff?" Carl asked.

"Hufflepuff isn't a bad house and you are too good to get in Slytherin." Harry answered patting his little brother on the head.

"But you always say that Hufflepuff is for people who have no real talent." Carl whined. "You also told me you'd be embarrassed if I got into Hufflepuff."

"I was joking Carl. I know a lot of the Hufflepuff's and I get along with most of them. You know me. I'm a jokester." Harry said.

He felt bad though. Had he really told his brother that Hufflepuff was an embarrassment? He liked the people in that house; Ernie Macmillan, Justin Finch-Fletchey, Susan Bone and Hannah Abbott. Was the real Harry Potter that mean to other people? Did he really think he was better than everyone? _Well if that's true, I'll just have to change that._ Harry decided as Carl left the room still worried.

Harry received a letter from Hermione later that night. He wondered if it would be confusion and question about why he was writing to her. He took the letter from Hedwig and allowed her to drink his juice while he read Hermione's letter.

_Harry  
Thank you so much for writing to tell me that you are prefect. I didn't know what to think when I got my badge today. I was worried that it had been Dean or Seamus or perhaps worse, **Ron**. I know he's your best mate but he really isn't nice. I suppose Neville wouldn't be bad either but I'm glad it's you. You are usually the one who tells the boys to lay off on me and I am grateful for it. I suppose you're laughing while you read this but I thought you ought to know.  
Anyway, I'll see you on the Hogwart's express I guess. _

Hermione.

A/N: I expect the first two chapters have been a bit boring but I assure you it gets better. They both have the major points to the whole story in them. So please don't get turned off by the first two chapters.

Please review.


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